Gut-skin-brain axis in people suffering from sepsis with acute skin failure

Abstract

Sepsis, a life-threatening condition, can lead to acute skin failure characterized by extensive skin damage. This is often due to decreased blood flow, inflammation, and increased susceptibility to infection. Acute skin failure in people with sepsis is often associated with sleep disturbances, anxiety, and poor mood. Inflammatory markers and lactate levels correlate with these psychiatric symptoms, suggesting a link between skin and brain function. The skin and the central nervous system (CNS) have bidirectional communication. The CNS is also in close contact with the digestive tract. The gut, skin, and brain influence each other’s functions through nervous, hormonal, and immune pathways, forming a gut-skin-brain axis. Understanding the interaction among the gut, skin, and CNS is critical to the diagnosis and treatment of various skin and neurological disorders. By recognizing individual variations in gut microbiota, immune responses, and neural pathways, treatments can be tailored to specific patient needs, enhancing efficacy and minimizing side effects. The gut plays a large role in mental health. Understanding the gut skin brain axis, will lead to improved mental health outcomes.

Keywords: Acute skin failure; Anxiety; Gut-skin-brain axis; Insomnia; Sepsis

Core Tip: Acute skin failure tends to cause insomnia and anxiety. The skin, along with the gut, is an organ that functions as a barrier, forming the gut-skin-brain axis. The gut-skin-brain axis is a bidirectional relationship mediated by the immune system, hormones, and the autonomic nervous system. Studying the gut-skin-brain axis holds immense promise for understanding mental illness due to the intricate and bidirectional communication network it represents. In essence, the gut-skin-brain axis provides a framework for understanding how interactions between the gut, skin, and brain can influence mental health, opening new avenues for prevention and treatment.